Publication: NST
Date of publication: Mar 27, 2010
Section heading: Life & Times
Page number: 010
Byline / Author: By Elaine Yim
ELAINE YIM is a big fan of the bunga kantan which has many uses.
Malaysia has a rich diversity of native plants, many of which have medicinal values.
Today, more people are discovering the benefits of landscaping their homes, factories and offices with such plants.
These plants are hardy and well adapted to the local climate. They are a good choice for anyone interested in low cost, low maintenance gardening and landscaping.
Today, I will introduce you to a native plant that can be grown at home - the bunga kantan.
Clumps of bunga kantan
Bunga kantan is an important ingredient in many Malay, Peranakan or Nyonya and Thai dishes.
It enhances the aroma and flavour with its exotic floral fragrance and helps mask the "fishy" taste of seafood.
Bunga kantan buds and a cross-section of cut-open bud
I started looking for the bunga kantan seedling after encountering difficulties in buying it fresh from the market.
A bud costs between RM1.20 and RM1.50 in supermarkets and 60 sen in wet markets in smaller towns. It is more economical to grow it in my garden.
However, visits to local nurseries produced negative results. During a trip to my brother's house in Ipoh, I chanced upon a clump of bunga kantan in his neighbour's garden.
Eager to learn more about this unique plant, I asked the neighbour, Ms T, how to plant it.
Imagine my surprise the next morning when she presented me with a rhizome (horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground).
The plant was given to her by another neighbour. Our friendship soon grew, thanks to our mutual hobby and we talked about our plants and exchanged notes, like proud parents who were bragging about their kids.
Back home, I followed Ms T's advice and found a sunny spot in my garden for my bunga kantan.
This plant thrives well in our climate. New shoots sprung out and soon the stems grew to a height of three metres. Some even grew as tall as 4.5m.
My regular bunga kantan supplier advised me to water it frequently.
"Don't let the soil dry out, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and die," he said.
After a year, I was rewarded with my first bunga kantan bud and it has not stopped blooming till today.
PLANT PROFILE: BUNGA KANTAN
Scientific name: Etlingera elatior
Common names: Bunga kantan (Malaysia), Kecombrang (Indonesia), Kaala (Thailand) and Rojak Ginger (Singapore), Torch ginger, ginger flower, red ginger lily, torch lily, wild ginger, Philippine wax flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Boca de Dragon, Rose de Porcelaine, Porcelain Rose
Synonyms: Phaeomeria imperialis, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia speciosa
Family: Zingiberaceae (same family as lengkuas and ginger)
Native plant of: Indonesia and Malaysia
How to Plant
* Plant the rhizome directly into the ground and cover it with soil.
* Use rich loamy soil which must be kept moist - do not let it dry out. This plant loves the sun.
* It may take more than a year for the flowering process to start. However, once it starts, blooms appear continuously.
* The bunga kantan grows in clumps and can grow between 1.5 and 1.8 metres wide. It is best grown in the ground.
Propagation
The easiest way to grow bunga kantan is by dividing the rhizomes. It takes longer to grow from seeds.
Where to get the rhizomes
From someone who is growing the plant or a bunga kantan supplier.
The Flowers
Stalks can grow to a height of between 0.9 and 1.2 metres. Flower and leaf stalks grow separately from underground stems, called rhizomes. The flowers, stems and leaves are fragrant. In fact, the whole plant smells good.
Most of us are familiar with the flower buds. This is because we usually cut off the flowers during the budding stage to be used in cooking, so they "disappear" before they can fully open. Have you seen a fully opened flower?
The pink bunga kantan bloom in the picture has a head that looks like a flaming torch, hence its name "torch ginger".
The petals are actually bracts. The real flower is the red pine cone-like scales that appear between the large waxy bracts.
Pink bunga kantan is easily available while the white and red ones are a rarity. The white bunga kantan pictured here was photographed at The Secret Garden outlet in 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya.
The Many Uses of Bunga kantan
1. Culinary:
The flower buds are cut into thin pieces and used to garnish soups and salads. They are also crushed or mixed with other ingredients.
Those who have used bunga kantan in their cooking say that their dishes tastes better.
2. Ornamental and landscaping:
The spectacular blooms, coupled with the smooth-textured foliage makes the bunga kantan perfect for landscaping gardens.
You can also find the bunga kantan in gardens around the world such as Florida, Hawaii, Central America and the Gold Coast in Australia.
Its flowers are also used in floral arrangements in fancy restaurants and posh hotels.
3. Medicinal:
Many people grow the bunga kantan for its medicinal value. It is believed that eating raw bunga kantan buds helps to improve appetite and has certain health benefits.
While the buds can be eaten, the stalks are boiled and used in herbal baths to reduce or eliminate body odour. Research has shown that the leaves have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. However, do not practise self-medication based on what I have written. Seek the advice of your doctor or medical practitioner.
to purchase a PDF version of this article.
